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Valorant

Cloud9 Blue Adds Floppy and Xeppaa, Building a VALORANT Colossus

Cloud9’s ‘Colossus’ CS:GO may have pumped the brakes, but in C9 Blue VALORANT things are looking up. That’s because on April 19th Cloud9 announced the signing of both Ricky “floppy” Kmeru and Erick “Xeppaa” Back to its lineup. 

Both pros signed over from former careers in CS:GO. The pair had been pars of the so-called C9 Colossus team which sought to dominant NA CS:GO. However, the roster was dismantled in March after disappointing results. 

C9 as a whole backed out of CS:GO leaving much of it’s roster in limbo. Xeppaa and Floppy are the first of that former roster to land, each switching game to try and bolster the C9 Blue roster. C9 like many top esports organisations has struggled to find consistency in the torrid waters of competitive Valorant. The nascent scene has seen many traditionally strong teams fall by the wayside against relative unknowns and unsigned squads.

The organisation has also struggled with building it’s new roster. A mishmash of former CS:GO pros and C9’s other aborted projects, such as C9 Korea, the lineup has found little consistency. Some of their biggest players were dropped or retired before competition proper began. However, the team is on the clock with VCT Challengers 2 and a vital chance to head to Reykjavik in May.

Ultimately, this may be another experiment gone wrong for Cloud9 Blue Valorant. The team will want solid results from their new lineup, otherwise another Colossus dismantling is just around the corner.

Make sure to follow Dartfrog for all the latest NA Valorant esports news on our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitch.

Categories
Valorant

NA Valorant Proves Big Names Don’t Always Win Big

The North America VALORANT scene continues to be chaotic as several big names miss out on the Stage 2 tournament. Team SoloMid, Sentinels, and NRG all failed to qualify for the VALORANT Champions Tour 2021 Main Event.

The result came after brutal competition in the open qualifiers for the NA Valorant Champion’s Tour. What’s more, FaZe Clan, Gen.G Esports, Cloud 9, and 100 Thieves are also hanging by a thread. One lost series will see these teams head home.

With the prestige and brand recognition behind these names, it’s surprising to see so many missing out on major tournaments. Particularly when many have invested so much into the game. Valorant promised to be a hugely popular esport with a dedicated following. However, organisations have struggled to pin down winning rosters.

NA Valorant and Unpredictability

This unpredictability is both a blessing and a curse for the developing scene. While it’s incredibly exciting to seen new names teams reach the upper echelons all the time, it’s a damning indictment on the scouting of top organisations. Sentinels were just weeks ago were crowned North America Stage 1 Masters champions. A team seemingly with an incredible amount of talent. Yet weeks later they drop out of the tour completely. With a relatively new game, it seems teams are struggling to sign effective teams. 

This is exacerbated by the fact players are often jumping to Valorant from other games. While success in CS:GO, Overwatch, and even Fortnite has some effect on Valorant player’s abilities, nothing is set in stone. Big organisations such as TSM, whose rabid fan base and ownership are often motivated by success at the highest levels, will surely not be happy with the team’s lack of success.

Luckily this isn’t just an NA problem. In Europe, Fnatic and Team Liquid similarly missed out on a spot in the Europe Stage 2 Challengers 1 after dropping Open Qualifiers. Whenever your region is, it’s a wide-open field for this VALORANT Champion’s Tour 2021.

Make sure to follow Dartfrog for all the latest NA Valorant esports news on our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitch.